Assassins Creed: Shadows Review

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Developer: Ubisoft

Publisher: Ubisoft

Reviewed on: PS5 & M3 Macbook Pro

Also available on: Xbox Series X & S, Windows, Amazon Luna, Geforce Now

Release Date: 20th March 2025

Rating: MA15+

Price: $89 JB Hi-Fi

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Set in feudal Japan in 1579, during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Assassin’s Creed: Shadows follows the journey of two protagonists. Naoe, a skilled shinobi assassin, and Yasuke, a brutish samurai warrior. The game blends traditional Assassin’s Creed stealth mechanics with brutal, tactical combat, more akin to something from For Honor, offering players the ability to approach missions in vastly different ways depending on which character they choose. With a huge open world filled with historical detail, Shadows delivers an incredibly immersive experience that stays true to the core of the franchise while introducing some great new elements. So far, I’m about 30 hours in, and it still feels like I have a long way to go. This alone speaks volumes about the sheer depth and scope of this game. From a breathtaking open world to its refinement in the combat system, Shadows delivers a pretty compelling experience that in my opinion, solidifies its place among the best Assassin's Creed games to date. That said, it’s not without its frustrations, and while the story holds up well enough, it doesn’t quite reach the heights I was hoping for.

First things first: Shadows is obviously a visual masterpiece. Ubisoft has outdone itself with the level of detail in feudal Japan. From dense forests to bustling villages, every location feels meticulously crafted. The lighting, especially at dawn and dusk, is nothing short of stunning, and I often find myself stopping just to soak in the environment. Weather effects add another layer of immersion. Rain slicks the ground, reflecting the dim glow of lanterns, while wind sweeps through fields of tall grass, offering perfect cover for stealth kills. The world feels alive in a way that few other open-world games achieve, and it makes exploration a real joy. The snow physics are particularly impressive, with each step leaving behind realistic tracks and terrain deformation, and snow melting in real time giving a real sense of time passing rarely seen in video games, all adding an extra touch of realism to the winter landscapes.

The story in Assassins Creed: Shadows is engaging enough to keep me invested, but it never quite lives up to some of the best Assassin’s Creed narratives to date. It follows a pretty familiar “Ubisoft” template, while the setting and characters do a lot to elevate the experience, the plot itself, though, feels a little predictable.

Naoe, however, stands out as one of the most likeable protagonists the series has seen in a long time. She perfectly embodies what I want from an Assassin’s Creed lead. Calculated, skilled, and deeply connected to the game’s overarching themes. I find myself playing as her 90% of the time, only switching to Yasuke when necessary. Speaking of Yasuke, he’s an interesting addition to the franchise. While not a traditional Assassin’s Creed character, he brings a unique dynamic to the gameplay. His presence adds variety, but I do wish I could swap between him and Naoe on the fly rather than only when fast traveling etc. There’s nothing more frustrating than trekking for five minutes to reach a location, only to realise I need the other character, forcing me to fast travel back to a hideout, switch characters, and make the journey all over again.

Now, if there’s one major downside, it’s the Kuji-Kiri missions. These tasks are pretty crucial for the game’s lore and character progression, but they end up being a chore more often than not. They usually involve following someone while listening to some dialogue, then completing a menial task like fetching a document or retrieving stolen sake. It’s busywork, and while I get their narrative importance, I often find myself wanting to skip them entirely. The silver lining here though is the ability to hold X (on PlayStation) to automatically follow NPCs. It removes some of the frustration and makes these missions slightly more tolerable. Still, I can’t help but feel like Ubisoft could have done more to make these sequences a bit more engaging rather than an obligation for skill tree progression.

One area where Shadows truly shines is combat. Assassin’s Creed has traditionally leaned into button mashing, but Shadows takes a more deliberate approach. Battles feel weighty, and each strike carries impact. While still an element of it sure, it’s not just about spamming attacks this time. Positioning, timing, and counterattacks play a much bigger role than ever before. Naoe’s fighting style is fluid and precise, making her perfect for stealth and fast strikes. Yasuke, on the other hand, feels like a powerhouse, using brute strength to plow through enemies. The contrast between their combat styles adds variety and depth to the gameplay, making encounters feel fresh and rewarding and require a level of forethought before running in Teppo's blazing.

Despite there clearly being some bugs in the game, as I am sure you too have seen on social media, I myself have only come across one. That was a bug in Photo Mode, where the filter I applied remained on screen even after exiting, with no way to turn it off. This essentially made the game unplayable, forcing me to reload my last checkpoint. Thankfully, it was only a minor inconvenience, but it’s something worth noting. Other than that, my experience has been surprisingly smooth, which is a relief given how buggy some open world Ubisoft games have been in the past. I know there's a lot of hate surrounding certain aspects of the game, aspects I wont weigh in on. But I truly believe Ubisoft used the delays to genuinely refine this game to one that is pretty well polished overall.

I played the majority of my time on PS5, I also spent a fair bit of time playing on my M3 Macbook Pro and while it’s no PC powerhouse, it handles this game surprisingly well. Playing on medium settings delivers a relatively smooth experience of around 30-50FPS, which is impressive given how demanding the game is. The biggest issue however, lies in the lighting effects. Certain areas are completely drowned out in darkness, making it difficult to see what’s going on. This is especially frustrating in interior environments where visibility is crucial. I found myself occasionally fighting in complete darkness even with my screen brightness all the way to max. The fact that the MacBook Pro M3 can run this game at all, and do so at a playable level, is a testament to how far Apple has come in such a short time. If they continue focusing on gaming performance and attracting AAA titles to macOS, I can’t wait to see what happens in the next couple of years. The progress so far has been genuinely exciting.

At the end of the day, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is a great game. The open world is breathtaking, the combat is the best it’s ever been, and Naoe is a fantastic protagonist. However, the story could have been stronger, and the Kuji-Kiri missions drag the experience down just a touch. With that in mind, I’m giving AC: Shadows an 8.5/10. It’s easily one of the best games in the series, and without those minor drawbacks, it could have been an easy 9 or higher. Even with its flaws, this is a must play for any Assassin’s Creed fan.